Much like the human species of the planet Earth is diverse, so are the animals who also roam, fly, creep, swim, breathe, and exist on the planet. Each animal comes from a particular group. There are mammals, like the snow leopard and dolphin; there are insects like the lady bug and the Karner Blue butterfly; there birds like the blue bird and owl; and there are echinoderms like the sea star and the sea lily.

A mammal is the closest species to a human. This is because humans happen to be mammals too. ?There are approximately 4,260 different mammalian species that have been discovered to date.? (Cater, 2008) Mammals have hair or fur. The snow leopard and the dolphin are two examples of a mammal. The snow leopard lives on land and walks on all fours, whereas the dolphin lives in the water. Both of these mammals require air to breathe in order to live. Dolphins are from the Cetacea order, the same order as whales. Snow leopards are from the Carnivora order. Snow leopards hunt for their food. Mammals in general are warm blooded creatures that produce milk to feed their offspring. Another special characteristic is that mammals are considered ?vertebrates meaning they have vertebrae? (Cater, 2008) that form a spine. There are four specific types of mammals. The first type of mammal is called Eutheria. Both the snow leopard and the dolphin fall into this category. This type of mammal has a placenta. The next type of mammal is called Metatheria. ?Metatheria are also known as marsupials or pouch-bearing mammals like the kangaroo. [Next is the] Prototheria - Prototheria are also known as monotremes or egg-laying mammals like the duckbill platypus.? (Carter, 2008). The last category of mammal is the Multituberculates. This type of mammal lived during the Jurassic time and is now completely extinct.

[...] What is an echinoderm? An echinoderm is a sea urchin. Two examples of echinoderms are sea lilies and sea stars, Sea lilies are some of the most beautiful, but least known echinoderm. Sea lilies are composed of calcium carbonate. main part of the body, the calyx, is carried at the top of the stalk, rather like a crown. This contains the main body organs and is further developed with a series of 5-10 featherlike arms. The number of arms appears to vary with water temperature: some of the larger, tropical species may have up to 200 arms.? (Stone, 2010) Sea lilies and sea stars are both from the Crinoidea order which means ?lily like.? Sea stars have arms, unlike sea lilies. [...]

[...] Scientific taxonomy and earth's biodiversity Earth's Biodiversity Much like the human species of the planet Earth is diverse, so are the animals who also roam, fly, creep, swim, breathe, and exist on the planet. Each animal comes from a particular group. There are mammals, like the snow leopard and dolphin; there are insects like the lady bug and the Karner Blue butterfly; there birds like the blue bird and owl; and there are echinoderms like the sea star and the sea lily. [...]

[...] The bill is short and straight.? (Cornell University, 2009) Bluebirds eat worms and other small insects. Owls differ from the Bluebird because owls are nocturnal animals. Owls are closely related to hawks and are from the Strigiformes order. ?Owls have a large head and large eyes that face forwards (unlike other birds, whose eyes are on the sides of their head).? (Enchanted Learning, 2009) Owls cannot move their eyes within the eye socket, but they are able to move their heads in 270 . Bluebirds do not have that range of movement. [...]